Residents throughout the country have lost faith in elected officials and politics in general because policy makers often make promises they do not keep; however, Residents of the City of Tamarac have a reason for renewed faith in their elected officials. Here’s why:
Anyone who drives by the Shaker Village Community in Eastern Tamarac, can see an abandoned clubhouse in disrepair. It undoubtedly hampers property values and disrupts community pride. Simply put, It’s an eyesore and the the association at Shaker Village says they cannot afford to fix it. For years, the Shaker Village Homeowners Association and the City have engaged in discussions to bring the building up to code and they have racked up fines to the tune of millions.
Mayor Gomez told residents she would support the City acquiring the property. She voted in favor of moving the project forward consistently since atleast 2017, so did every Tamarac Commissioner. But after winning reelection, Mayor Gomez made a sharp turn, using the power of her vote to deny the project. She told the Association, if some legal questions she had were addressed, she would support the project. Those issues were addressed by multiple independent attorneys who confirmed that Mayor Gomez’s concerns were unsubstantiated and without merit.
Roslyn Honeygan, a member of the association says she spoke directly to Mayor Gomez and the commission at the July 12 Commission meeting and pleaded with the Mayor to keep her promise to the residents of Shaker Village. Instead, Gomez turned her back on them and voted no against eastern Tamarac, which lacks the facilities and resources the rest of the city can easily access and enjoy. Gomez was joined by Commissioner Villalobos in a failed vote of 3-2.
Since joining the Commission in 2016, Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton has been a tireless advocate for District 1 and has often pointed out the lack of resources, events, facilities, and parks on the east side of Tamarac.
Young people and Seniors in the east must drive to the west side of Tamarac for activities.
While Eastern Tamarac residents pay their fair share of taxes, they argue they are not seeing the same benefits or quality of services as other Tamarac residents. So, an independent Eastside Park feasibility study was conducted in 2017. The study agreed with the residents and concluded that the east-side of Tamarac severely lacks resources and facilities and that residents of District 1 are underserved.
The study also identified several ways the city could enhance resources and facilities for the Eastside of Tamarac. One of the recommendations included acquiring the clubhouse in Shaker Village and transform it into a state of the art Community Center for all of the City’s residents.
So Vice Mayor Bolton rolled up his sleeve, and advocated for City facilities and parks on the east-side. Renewing advocacy for Barrier Walls along Prospect Road, Commercial Blvd., and 31st Ave., locate a Community Center on the east-side, improvement of roads along prospect Rd., renovating and improving Caporella Park, advocating for the Sabal Palm Park in Central Parc, and repaving streets in Mainlands 1-5.
The City Commission agreed to acquire the property at Shaker Village in a 3-2 vote with support from Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton, District 2 Commissioner Morey Wright and District 4 Commissioner Kicia Daniel. Once the City acquires the property, it will be available for use for the public.
A community center in Eastern Tamarac is long needed and this is an example of local government, community leaders and progressive elected officials like Bolton, Wright and Daniels coming together to solve problems in the community.
Soon, subject to a shared use agreement, the dilapidated building will be gone, community pride restored, an improved Commercial Boulevard will emerge, and a public facility will be built to benefit you.
